Apples
by Queenrizzles
Summary: Late entry to Swanqueen week, day 1 AU-meet cute. Teen!Swanqueen Regina see's someone trying to steal their horses and uses an unlikely weapon.


**I should be studying and finishing the next chapter of home, but I had this idea a few days ago.**

**I've only just been able to upload so it's a late entry to swanqueen week, day 1. Au-meet cute.**

**Thoughts are in italics if that isn't clear. No beta on this so if you spot any mistakes please let me know.**

**Hope you enjoy, let me know what you think.**

Regina stormed out of the manor and down the garden walkway making her way towards her much loved apple tree. She was completely fuming after another failed attempt at trying to convince her mother to let her go to Katherine's party after prom, but her mother was adamant in not letting her go. Regina couldn't see why her mother couldn't just trust her to act responsibly, it's like she doesn't know her own daughter at all. It's not like Regina would ever let herself get drunk and she certainly wasn't going to get pregnant. Everyone knows that the younger Mills girl prefers the fairer sex, her mother included yet the older woman wouldn't budge on the matter claiming it was these types of parties that landed her older sister, Zelena, with twins at sixteen.

Regina really wished that her mother would stop comparing her to her sister, they are nothing alike, she doesn't know why her mother can't see that. So after engaging in a massive argument with the Mills matriarch the brunette teen had walked away, grabbing her basket on the way and headed for her beloved Honeycrisp tree. She had to calm herself before she ended up in another argument and saying something she would later regret. Since she couldn't go and ride her favourite steed to let off some steam without letting one of her parents know, her only option was to tend to her tree to hopefully calm her.

She spent some time digging up any nearby weeds, which wasn't many given that their gardener usually did that, before picking the newly fallen apples and the ripest ones from the tree itself until her basket was full. Once Regina was done she sat on the bench near to her tree, overlooking the entire Mills estate with a great view of the stable, where something caught her eye.

The teen could see a tall blonde figure walking backwards leading what she knew was her prized steed, Rocinate, out of the family stable and towards a group of horses the stranger had most likely already rounded up. Regina instantly saw red.

_The nerve of this person thinking they can trespass on our property and steal our horses! My horse! _She thought to herself.

Picking up her full basket of apples Regina sets off towards the stable fully intending to stop this despicable thief in his tracks.

The brunette is a couple of feet from the blonde when she realised that she needs a plan of action. She stops for a few seconds before an idea strikes her. She knows that she wouldn't be able to take this person down, she can see the muscles rippling beneath the white tank top and so decides to take the thief by surprise and use her apples as ammunition.

Regina picks up an apple in her right hand, swings her arm back then forward letting it go and watching as it sails through the air toward her assailant. It hits its target square in the back, earning a yelp and a pained grunt. Regina doesn't stop at that though, she proceeds to pelt the blonde with apples as she begins walking toward the thief who is now crouched in a protective ball grunting in pain at every impact of each apple.

Over half the basket is gone when Regina is within touching distance of the blonde. She's about to throw another apple when a voice stops her in her tracks.

"Regina! What are you going?!" It's her fathers voice. She turns from the thief and looks towards her father and sees him standing at the stable door with his arms folded waiting for an answer.

"I saw this person trying to steal my horse, so i threw apples at him to stop him." She states matter of factly, chin raised high like her mother had taught her.

"Regina, **she** wasn't trying to steal any horses. This is Emma, she's our new stable hand. I think you need to apologise." He says, shaking his head at his youngest child before going back into the stable

The brunette's eyes grow comically wide and she turns to she the now standing **girl** in front of her, looking at her with a slight grimace though her bright green eyes shine with amusement.

_Wow, she's beautiful. I wonder what it would feel like to run my fingers through those golden curls. _The brunette stares in bewilderment, it was the sound of the blondes voice that brought her out of her trance like state.

"Hi." The blonde says with a little wave.

"Oh my god, I am so sorry. I was angry and not thinking rationally. I thought you were trying to take the horses and I just acted on impulse. I am so very **very** sorry. Please can you forgive me?"

"Sure, don't worry about it. You were protecting the horses I get it. I gotta say that's a mean swing you've got." Emma chuckles slightly, rubbing at a particularly sore spot.

"I'm sorry. Does it hurt? Do you need medical assistance?" Regina asks, frantically waving her hands just hovering them next to the girl not wanting to injure her further.

"Nah, that's not necessary. I think I'll live. May have a few bruises though." She smirks at the dishevelled brunette. "By the way I'm Swan. Emma Swan." She held out her hand towards the other girl.

"Regina Mills." The brunette accepts the hand, shaking it as the two share a smile.

Regina could tell that things were about to get a lot more interesting around the estate with the presence of Emma Swan. The party was now long forgotten from her mind , she didn't even care that she wasn't attending anymore so long as she got to spend more time in this girls presence.


End file.
